Self-driving car to make 3,500 mile trip
A car outfitted with Delphi’s self-driving technology is driving itself from California to New York, a trip of 3,500 miles. This long-distance test is intended to help Delphi collect more data about highways.
Around the periphery there’s forward vision, there’s radar, there’s also lidar, the car has high accuracy GPS, and also vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to infrastructure communications…We’re using radar and vision systems and those rely on the infrastructure and vehicles around them for the car to make decisions.
New face of EA’s golf series
Electronic Arts Inc. announces McIlroy as the new face of its golf video-game series. Rory McIlroy PGA Tour will be available on Xbox One and Playstation 4 consoles.
We're thrilled to have @McIlroyRory on the cover of @EASPORTSGOLF! Meet Rory: http://t.co/ZZxsg01c0E #NextGenGolf pic.twitter.com/xmizVPQDrs
— Electronic Arts (@EA) March 17, 2015
Curbs hate speech, terror support, nudity
The Company says it will take down “graphic images when they are shared for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate or glorify violence,” and that it will not tolerate “supporting or praising leaders [criminal or terrorist] organizations, or condoning their violent activities.”
Nudity will banned except for images of breastfeeding, art or discussions of medical conditions:
These standards are designed to create an environment where people feel motivated and empowered to treat each other with empathy and respect.
Bans revenge porn
Twitter bans the posting of naked photographs and videos without the permission of the person in that photograph or video. Updated rule:
You may not post intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject’s consent
Announces Drones and tour
Muse announces an upcoming tour as well as the release of thier seventh studio album, Drones. A new track, Psycho, will be released on YouTube on Thursday, followed by the release of the album’s first single Dead Inside on March 23. The tour consists of a series of live shows across Britain, Europe, and Russia. Bellamy:
To me, ‘Drones’ are metaphorical psychopaths which enable psychopathic behaviour with no recourse. The world is run by Drones utilising Drones to turn us all into Drones. This album explores the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope, to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to their eventual defection from their oppressors.
Feeling Fat status removed
The Company removes the “feeling fat” emoticon from its status menu after the group Endangered Bodies launched multiple Change.org petitions to persuade Facebook to remove the puffed-up and rosy cheeked image. The group says the option is problematic for people who struggle with eating disorders. Facebook:
We’ve heard from our community that listing ‘feeling fat’ as an option for status updates could reinforce negative body image, particularly for people struggling with eating disorders. So we’re going to remove ‘feeling fat’ from the list of options. We’ll continue to listen to feedback as we think about ways to help people express themselves on Facebook.
Catherine Weingarten, a 24-year-old Ohio student who launched the U.S. petition:
As someone who struggled with body image, I feel so happy that I am eliminating one form of body shaming hatred on the internet.
Will direct live action ‘Dumbo’
Birton will direct Disney’s live action version of Dumbo. The film will use a mix of CGI and live action and will add a family story that parallels Dumbo’s journey.
Apple Watch unveiled
Apple unveils a smart-watch that allows user to make and receive calls and track personal health. Apple chief executive, Tim Cook:
Apple watch is like having a coach on your wrist.It is the most personal device we have ever created and can display a variety of faces ranging from a classic watch to an animated Mickey Mouse. With the built in speaker and microphone you can receive calls on your watch. I have been wanting to do this since I was five years old.
HBO Now launch
HBO announces HBO Now, a standalone streaming service available exclusively on Apple TV as a new channel. HBO Now is also available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod as an app. HBO’s entire catalog of movies and TV shows can either be streamed through HBONow.com or on all Apple devices through the channel or the app. The service costs $15 a month, and it can only be subscribed to via the HBO Now app on an Apple device.
UFC 185: Pettis vs Dos Anjos announcement
Pettis will fight Dos Anjos for the UFC lightweight championship in UFC 185, to take place at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Documentary partnership
Netflix announces they will partner with DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company for a series of documentaries. Netflix:
We will seek to develop and acquire documentaries and docuseries with partial focus on environmental and conservation themes.
Expendables TV development
Fox will collaborate with Stallone to develop an Expendables TV series. Chuck Norris, Jennifer Garner, Don Johnson, Lucy Lawless may potentially star in the mercenary action show.
Summer tour announcement
Clarkson announces on Good Morning America she is going on tour for her album, Piece by Piece. The 36-city tour will begin July 11 in Hershey, PA., and end Sept. 20 in Camden, N.J. Clarkson will play two nights at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and at Wolf Trap National Park For The Performing Arts in Vienna, Va. Pentatonix and Eric Hutchinson will open the shows. At least four songs from the album will be played, including Tightrope.
Because of an element I’ve never done on tour, it makes sense to incorporate that song I’m not flying or on a tightrope there’s not that but it makes sense with that song and how it sounds on the record that it will fit into the show.
Phasing out elephant acts
The Circus is phasing out the use of elephants for its performances. Growing public concern over the animals’ treatment as well as ‘anti-circus’ and ‘anti-elephant’ ordinances led to the decision. Thirteen elephants will continue to tour with the circus before they are retired to the Center for Elephant Conservation in 2018.
There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.
Opening US data center
Alibaba is moving forward with plans to open a data center in Silicon Valley. The data center will offer several services on an as-needed basis, including cloud computing.
For the time being, we are just testing the water. We know well what Chinese clients need, and now it’s time for us to learn what US clients need.
Unveils $31,000 dog kennel
Samsung Electronics unveils the “Dream Doghouse,” which cost $30,600, and took six weeks to make and is aimed at ‘tech-savvy pampered pooches.’ While the kennel is not for sale, it is available as a prize in a competition on Samsung’s social media channels. The Dream Doghouse comes with two indoor living areas (one for “rest and relaxation”, the other for “dining and entertainment”) and an outside area layered with fake grass. Features include a treadmill, a hot-tub spa, a “push-to-woof” call bell, wallpaper and framed portraits, a skylight, and a snack dispenser.
The Samsung Dream Doghouse looks sleek and modern, featuring the kind of tech the discerning dog of the future will need. From dogs who have social media profiles, to owners who use video calling to check on their pet while away, technology is fast becoming an integral part of everyday life.
Integrates AMBER alerts
Waze is integrating AMBER alerts for abducted children into its U.S. app. When a driver is using the app in an area where individuals have been reported missing and after the driver has been stopped for more than ten seconds, they will be shown an alert with the child’s name and face, as well as the option to find out more information on the web. These alerts also offer information on the model, make, and license plate of the vehicle the child is traveling in, if available. Once the driver’s car starts moving again, the alert will disappear. Alerts are only shown once per individual, per week.
Unveil Churro Dog
The Diamondbacks announce a new concession item: the Churro Dog. Created by the Diamondbacks’s team chef Michael Snoke, the Churro Dog is a warm cinnamon churro sitting inside a Long John chocolate-glazed donut, which is then topped with frozen yogurt, caramel and chocolate sauces. Calorie count: 1,117. The item is found at two stands on the main concourse at Chase Field, and it costs $8.50. Team president and CEO Hall:
We’ve found that desserts work really well in the heat we have here. Chef Snoke thought it tasted better than ice cream. Plus, using frozen yogurt is easier to execute on the spot at the game.
New to Chase Field this year: the Churro Dog. pic.twitter.com/drUK3rITxX
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 4, 2015
VR headset announcement
Valve and HTC announce a virtual reality headset called Vive, which uses two 1200 x 1080 displays with a refresh rate at 90Hz, eliminating jitter achieving “photorealistic imagery” across a 360 degree field of vision. A pair of HTC-made wireless controllers for manipulating objects or shooting weapons through hand tracking will be included. The Steam VR base station will let users walk around the virtual space instead of using a controller. A pair of the base stations can track users’ physical location in spaces up to 15 feet by 15 feet. Vive comes out for developers in Q2 2015 and later in 2104 for consumers. HTC’s Peter Chou:
We believe that virtual reality will totally transform the way that we interact with the world. Virtual reality will become a mainstream technology for the rest of the world.
Android Pay announcement
Google announces Android Pay at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The new feature is not a new product but a framework that allows secure payments support from other companies which works in physical stores and also apps. It also supports NFC and biometrics.
We are doing it in a way in which anybody else can build a payments service on top of Android. So, in places like China and Africa we hope that people will use Android Pay to build innovative services.